Combined car step and gate



' (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. E. LUDLOW.

COMBINED GAR STEP AND GATE.

No. 462,769. Patented Nov. 10,1891.

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(No Model.) 7 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. LUDLOW. COMBINED GAR STEP AND GATE.

110.462,?69. 1 Patented Nov. 10,1891.

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Patented Nov. 10,1891.

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W. E. LUDLOW. COMBINED GAR STEP AND GATE.

No. 462,769 Patented Nov. 10,1891.

MIX F5555 C(Wu 3.4mm. 024 fl'm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IL-LIAM E. LUDLOV, OF TOLEDO, OIIIO.

COMBINED CAR STEP AND GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,769, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed March 25, 1891. Serial No. 386,310. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM E. LUDLOW, of Toledo, county of Lucas, and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain newand usefullmprovements in a Combined Oar Step and Gate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of "the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon,which form'part of this specification.

My invention relates to a combined car step and gate, and has for its object to equip a car with a step adapted to be raised from a normal position to a position to form a gate or barrier to prevent the entrance of unauthorized persons to the car or the possibility of persons falling from the car-platform while passing from one car to another.

A further object is to provide convenient means for actuating both steps at the end of the car simultaneously to lower one and raise the other, or for actuating each independently.

A further object is to provide means for locking the step or steps in raised position.

A further object is to provide a pivoted plate supplemental to the step, which shall act as a mud-plate or means of removing the deposit of mud from the shoes of the passen gers and prevent the same from lodging upon the step.

The invention consists in the parts and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of aportion of a car provided with my improved car step and gate, showing one step raised and the opposite one lowered to permit of ingress to or egress from the car. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the operating mechanism detached from the car, showing one step elevated and one lowered. Fig. 3 is a detached view of one side of the operating mechanism, showing in full lines the step elevated and in dotted lines the position of the parts when lowered. Fig. 4 is a detail view of an ordinary railway-car step, the platform and step being shown in section, with the operating mechanism working independently upon each step. Fig. 5 is a like view showing the step raised to form a gate. Fig. 0 is a sectional detail showing the steps and hangers. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views, respectively, showing the step lowered and raised, the mud-guard being omitted.

Ileretofore in the branch of the art to which myinvention belongs, either in street-railway passenger-cars for city transportation or in railway-passe]iger cars, there has been at all times great danger of passengers alighting upon the side of the car upon which there is a moving car or train upon a parallel track, thereby jeopardizing life and limb. This has been partially remedied in the case of city transportation by means of gates secured across the entrance upon the side in which the danger exists, and while the precaution, if duly observed, may subserve the purpose, it is not only inconvenientand unsightly, but often neglected by the conductor, driver, or motor-man, and as a consequence fails of its purpose.

In the case of railway passenger-cars drawn by steam-power the dangers enumerated not only exist, but the additional danger of passengers attempting to enter or leave the cars while in motion, and in so doing falling beneath the car. I h-(We entirely overcome these features of danger incident to travel upon either city cars or steam railway-cars by the invention herein shown and described.

The invention consists, broadly, in providing a car with foldable step or steps, and mechanism for actuating either or both at will.

The invention further consists in providing a reversible mud-plate, whereby there shall be presented a clean inner side to the platform of the car when the step is folded.

I will first describe the invention as applied to a car in which the steps are connected by the operating mechanism in a manner to operate simultaneously to raise one step while in the act of lowering the one upon the opposite side, and afterward describe the niechanism for operating each step independently.

l designates the platform of the car, there being a rectangular frame 2 secured upon the end of the car, into which steps 3 may rest when lowered to allow of ingress to or egress from the car.

a designates hangers pivotably secured to the platform of the car at their upper ends and to jointed bars 5 at their lower ends, there being a1 riser or'brace 6 secured between the hangers to form the vertical portion of the step.

Jointed bars 5 are formed of a main horizontal section 7 and end or step section 8, said portions 7 and 8 being connected or joined together by rods 9, fora purpose to be hereinafter stated.

10 designates a lever pivoted to the car at one end and to the end section 8 at the opposite end, which, together with hangers 4., act as pivots to operate and convert the step into a gate, or vice versa, the operation of which will be described. Between the sections 8, at each end of the same and from the point of joinder with hanger 4 to the outside end of the same, is inserted the step 3.

11 designates a shaft journaled on the under side of the car, as shown in Fig. 3, and onto which is fixedly secured a hand-lever 12, by which the shaft is worked. On shaft 11 and midway between the jointed bars 5 is fixedly secured an arm 13, which connects by means of a link 14 with rod 9, the object of which is to compensate for the irregular path of travel that rod 9 would take when the step is to be raised or lowered on account of the double pivots 10 and 4, as will be hereinafter described.

15 designatesa spring-catch secured to the body of the car,Fig.1,which is provided with a depression or catch 16, into which the side of the step 3 is thrown when elevated. To withdraw the catch,I provide a lever 17', pivoted to the car at 18, which rides up the inclined side 19 of the catch to release the same.

20 designates a mud-step pivotally secured to a rod 21, which serves as a pivot between hangers 4 and section 8 of jointed bars 5 by means of hangers 22, which allow the same to swing over and form the covering for the step, and, when the same is elevated to form a gate, swings over to cover the step and presents the opposite side to the inside of the platform.

In operation, to convert the step 011 one side to a gate and consequently the gate of the opposite side to a step, hand-lever 17 is'thrown over to disengage the catch 16 from the gate when lever 12 is raised or pulled over, causing arm 13 to assume the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, and consequently rocking the frame through the medium of links 1 1 and rod 9, which, as the same is caused to move to the left, as in Fig. 2, end bars 8 of jointed arms 5 are caused to swing down, arms 4 and 10 acting as pivots until arms 8 assume a horizontal position, causing the step 3 to rest in the frame 2. Arms t in the operation complete a semicircle, the connection with the car acting as a pivot, so that when the step-sections are horizontal they will have assumed a downward vertical position, forming the riser. The simultaneous operation on the opposite side of formingthe gate from the step is just the reverse of the operation just described. End bars 8, through the medium ofpivoted arm 1 and 10, assume a vertical position, and. pivoted arm 4: will have turned a semicircle and assumed an upward position, forming the lowerhalf of the gate. The object of the two pivoted arms and 10 will be readily understood, as by their use the step-sections rise in a substant ally hor Zontal position until lever 10 is in a hor1- zontal position, when bars 7 by a continued throw act to swing the upper end to make the step-section assume a vertical position, arms 10 acting as a fixed pivot and arm 4 giving the throw to complete the operation. 7

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated a construction in which the main section of jointed bars 5 are omitted and the sides thrown independently. In these figures I have also shown a modified form of guard for the step. The rectangular frame 2 1s dispensed with,and guards 23 are formed on the stem-sections.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 I have shown a modification adapted for railway-cars, n which the step-sections 8 are provided with steps, as cars in which this construction 18 used are elevated more from the ground than those heretofore described. In this construction pivoted arm 10 is formed of an angular shape to embrace the beam 24:, the operation being identical.

It will be seen that I may extend shaft 11 the whole length of the car and throw both ends simultaneously, if desired, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. It will also be understood that I may employ other means to operate or throw the step lnto a position to form a gate and the reverse, such as providing the ordinary brake-lever, and at the lower end forming a crank, the outer end of which is connected by a rod to rod 9.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with an ordinary platform, of an outwardly-moving and upwardlyfolding oar-step, arranged as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with a platform, of a folding step and a reversible mud step-plate, all arranged for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a platform, of an articulated frame arranged beneath the same, the outer members of which are adapted to be moved vertically upward to provide a gate, and a step attached to the outer end of said outer members.

4. The combination, with a platform, of an articulated frame arranged beneath the same, theouter members of said frame beingadapted to fold upward to provide a gate, a step attached to the outer ends of said members, and a reversible mud step-plate connected also to the said members.

5. The combination, with a platform,of an articulated frame arranged beneath the same and composed of the central portion and outer members, the outer members being adapted to fold up and provide a gate, the frame be ing so articulated that as one member folds up to produce a gate the other is moved down beneath the car, and the steps attached to the outer ends of said folding members.

6. The combination, with a platform, of a transversely-articulated frame arranged beneath the same, and the levers connected with the outer members of the frame to fold the same vertically.

'7. The combination, with a platform, of a transversely-movable articulated frame arranged beneath the same, the levers connected to the outer members of the frame, and the steps to the outer ends of said outer members.

\VILLIAM E. LUDLOV.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. KAUFMAN, Louis IL PIKE. 

